If you spent your youth pining after bad boys with guitars, then there's a good chance that you swooned over Degrassi: The Next Generation's Craig Manning.
Played by Jake Epstein, Craig — who first appeared in Degrassi's season 2 premiere, "When Doves Cry" — was a fan favorite on the Canadian teen soap until he ditched Degrassi Community School to follow his singer-songwriter dreams.
Fans caught up with Craig in the 2009 TV movie Degrassi Goes Hollywood, and the musician returned to his old stomping grounds in Degrassi: Next Class' reunion episode, "#Throwback." Alas, it looks like Craig couldn't stay away — and I'm definitely not complaining about it.
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Last time he was in town, Craig — never without his guitar — played at a show for the alumni. Now, according to TV Guide, the stepson of Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni) will be taking his talents to a judging panel in the season 4 episode "#FactsOnly." Craig will reportedly be acting as the special celebrity judge at a charity talent show, where Degrassi's best and brightest will no doubt be playing. It seems like every class at Degrassi has boasted their own band, so it's worth wondering if Maya (Olivia Scriven) will rejoin Grace (Nikki Gould) and Jonah (Ehren Kassam) to compete in the talent show following a cycle of depression that led to her overdosing on pills. Given Craig's own history with mental illness — he was diagnosed as bipolar during his time on the series — perhaps these two musicians can find some common ground.
Of course, anything other than Craig making another appearance on Degrassi: Next Class is pure speculation. What we do know about the upcoming season, however, sounds pretty promising. In addition to releasing a juicy trailer for season 4 that shows how everyone is hooking up and/or breaking up, the show promises to explore gender fluidity through the lens of Yael (Jamie Bloch).
You don't have to wait until the new season drops on Netflix on Friday, July 7 to see more of Craig. Degrassi also released a video of Epstein and Adamo Ruggiero, who plays Marco, reminiscing about their days walking the halls of Degrassi.
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Check it out below, and make sure to add Degrassi: Next Class to your Netflix queue.
Craig Manning was in the building... and then this happened ? pic.twitter.com/2mZov6BV1B
— Degrassi (@Degrassi) July 5, 2017
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